Swatch Denies Report It Is Working With Apple on iWatch Wearable

[bigchrisfgb]

Rolex or similar brands won't work with Apple. Think about it their cheapest watches are somewhere like £5k. If they brought out an iWatch for less than that they what do you think would happen to the rest of their watches? They would decline in sales, and if they brought out an iWatch for about the same price then they won't sell. I mean you can't sell that many high prices watches, if you did then everyone would own a Rolex or TAG watch.

Apple's iWatch will be aimed at a totally different market than high end watch manufacturers.

 

[Akarin]

As somebody living in Switzerland and who has been close to what happened to Kodak in the past, I have a feeling that this whole "smart watch" thing is kinda the same story that unfolded when digital photography took over film photography: those at the top end survived but those on the mid-low end died. I wouldn't qualify Swatch as "high end". It's a fashion product. So, stating that "it has no interest in working with a tech company" may be a bit bold.

 

[kevinws]

SWATCH is more than just the SWATCH brand of plastic watches. They also own Omega, Harry Wintson, Loginess, Tissot, and Hamilton to name a few. They also provide movements to Tag Heuer, Zenith and IWC. This is not a complete list.

So when I hear true or not that SWATCH is working with Apple on a smart watch I don't think of the plastic watch that wore as a kid. I think of this.

http://www.omegawatches.com/collection/speedmaster/moonwatch/presentation/speedmaster-professional

 

[kingtj]

re: negative perception

Honestly, I have a negative perception of the Swatch brand too, and I'm a guy who used to wear a lot of "lower end" watches from companies like Timex and Casio, growing up. (So sure, I remember the calculator watches.... briefly owned one myself.)

Swatch felt to me like it did everything possible to move the wristwatch away from anything adding more capabilities, and away from anything making it resemble jewelry or having the appearance of better quality -- and going to a brightly-colored plastic, toy look. Absolutely NOT what I wanted to ever wear on my wrist, as a teen or young adult growing up in the 80's.

You might laugh at the calculator watch idea as "nerdy", but the 80's was also the era of people reading comics and watching sci-fi that featured things like Dick Tracy's "wrist communicator" and realizing it could actually come true. I even remember a few kids wearing Radio Shack branded "Cosmic Fire Away" game watches. (The idea you could take a video game around with you on your wrist was pretty cool, back then.)

I am a watch guy but I personally don't own and never owned one, I just don't see why so many people have such negative perception of Swatch. What swatch did in the late 80s and early 90s revolutionalized the industry; before them it was your grandpa's metal band (maybe leather) watches, or your geeky Casio watch-calculator (remember those)?

Swatch made watches colorful, liberating, and a fashion statement. Colorful plastic watches made a comeback via various brands over the past couple of years.

 

[Nikiaf]

Swatch could make sense as a partner because they have a reputation of quality but don't make an unreasonably expensive product.

There's no way Apple would partner with a Rolex or the like because they would alienate their potential client base; many of which are likely not mechanical watch owners in the first place. So not only is the brand reputation lost, but why would Rolex want to put its name on a watch that would sell for many, many multiples less than their cheapest offering?

 

[i4m]

this is a rumor i can get excited about...

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Pretty sure Apple learned their lesson about someone else being allowed to make the hardware their software would run on when they made OS 8. Or the Motorola ROKR.

I don't think Apple will be making this mistake again so long as the team Steve assembled is still in control at Apple.

 

[2010mini]

Best news so far today! Never cared for Swatch...

Stop thinking of swatch as a cheap brand. They own all these brands:

Breguet
Harry Winston
Blancpain
Glashütte Original
Jaquet Droz
Léon Hatot
Omega
Longines
Rado
Union Glashütte
Tissot
ck watch + jewelry
Balmain
Certina
Mido
Hamilton

 

[recoil80]

After iOS in the Car they could have iOS on the wrist

I still think Apple will release its own made watch, but a standard like CarPlay for watches could be a possibility too.
It wouldn't mean running iOS on third party hardware, but provide a set of functionalities to let an iPhone communicate with the watch to send notification, read some bio stuff like pulse etc.

 

[osofast240sx]

Stop thinking of swatch as a cheap brand. They own all these brands:

Breguet
Harry Winston
Blancpain
Glashütte Original
Jaquet Droz
Léon Hatot
Omega
Longines
Rado
Union Glashütte
Tissot
ck watch + jewelry
Balmain
Certina
Mido
Hamilton

Not cheap just out of style.

 

[BarryL]

This is a good rumor to debate. My guess is they're under NDA, and have to deny it for now.

 

[macduke]

Even if the Swatch rumor isn't true, which it very likely isn't, their CEO is a moron for thinking wearable tech isn't the "next revolution." Here is a solid method for determining the next revolution: Is Apple working on it? If yes, then it's the next revolution. If no, then it may or may not be the next revolution. Apple has a pretty solid track record and has made very smart people look like morons over and over.

 

[derbladerunner]

Not cheap just out of style.

Huh? Do you or anyone you know collect high-end watches (I have to ask if you make such statements) or know the sales increase of Swatch Group (the group, not Swatch the plastic watch) in recent years ?

Since you listed all the high-end brands listed owned by Swatch Group...

Do you know how much a high-end Omega or Harry Winston timepiece costs?

Do you know how many people in Asia (especially in China and Japan) long after such high-end brands?

These brands often are over a hundred years old, these watches don't go out of style overnight.

These are not time-keeping devices but fashion and collector items, mostly for men (some also for women).

Prices can quickly go above $10k, I doubt Apple will reveal something in that price range.

 

[osofast240sx]

Huh? Did you see all the brand listed under Swatch? These brands often are over a hundred years ld, they don't go out of style.

These are not time-keeping devices, they are fashion and collector items, mostly for men (some also for women).

Do you know how much a high-end Omega or Harry Winston timepiece costs?

Prices can quickly go above $10k, I doubt Apple will reveal something in that price range.

I'm talking about swatch they make high-end and junk the junk is the problem

 

[krravi]

" Swatch, whose CEO has publicly expressed skepticism about the future success of the iWatch, saying he doesn't believe "it's the next revolution."

People like him also probably laughed at the iPhone.

Just as the iPhone was more than just a Phone, the iWatch will become indispensable if it also becomes a health monitor and a myriad other things....

 

[derbladerunner]

I'm talking about swatch they make high-end and junk the junk is the problem

Which Swatch do you refer to?

Swatch, Swatch Scuba and Flik Flak as watch brands are indeed plastic watches costing from $50 to $200, but these also offer good quality considering the price range and are still made in Switzerland.

The entire Swatch Group however has 12 brands with watches selling at up to and well above $5k or $10k. These brands were listed above:

Breguet
Harry Winston
Blancpain
Glashütte Original
Jaquet Droz
Léon Hatot
Omega
Longines
Rado
Union Glashütte
Tissot
ck watch + jewelry
Balmain
Certina
Mido
Hamilton

Ask any watch collector, this is not "junk", especially not Omega, Breguet, Harry Winston etc.

These watches cost more than a Mac Pro (or even a few Mac Pros).

 

[roow110]

Rolex or similar brands won't work with Apple. Think about it their cheapest watches are somewhere like £5k. If they brought out an iWatch for less than that they what do you think would happen to the rest of their watches? They would decline in sales, and if they brought out an iWatch for about the same price then they won't sell. I mean you can't sell that many high prices watches, if you did then everyone would own a Rolex or TAG watch.

Apple's iWatch will be aimed at a totally different market than high end watch manufacturers.

Rolex likely will not partner with Apple for the iWatch. Their brand is centered around quality and long-lasting products. They make every component of their watches and even smelt their own metal. They wouldn't outsource their movement or get mixed up in technology which could become quickly outdated.

I think other high end brands could be interested in working with Apple. Omega for instance does not produce their own movements. Omega buys their movements from ETA and insert them into their watch bands and cases. Apple could act as a supplier of the movements to any brand and allow the brand to design the watch around it. Apple would have control over the hardware and software, but leave the aesthetic up to the watch companies.

They could sell the "movement" for $300 to $500 and the bands or cases would be added on. Swatch would release a colorful rubber one for $50, Omega would release a gorgeous LiquidMetal design for $5000 or a diamond encrusted one for more.

 

[Wiesenlooser]

It wouldnt make any sense... why would apple need to cooperate with Swatch?

Did they cooperate with Nokia when they did the iPhone?

 

[2010mini]

I'm talking about swatch they make high-end and junk the junk is the problem

The "junk" you referred to really isn't junk. But knowing Apple, do you think they would just make a plastic low end watch? Or do you think they would try to get most of the DNA from Swatch Group's mid to higher end products?

 

[ChrisCW11]

Swatch, lol

It's the 21st century, nobody wears Swatch anymore. Apple may as well pair up with Casio or Timex too.

I don't think Apple is releasing one iWatch this year, let alone many styles or price points. If there was even one leaked part involving an iWatch, then all these rumors would be somewhat credible. You can't go from zero to product in under 3 months, not even Apple is capable of that.

There isn't even leaks of an iWatch prototype from Apple and this is a company with a history of employees leaving prototype products at Starbucks.

Apple hasn't been able to quash rumors and leaks about any products for years now, i don't believe an iWatch is being developed in a vaccuum where no significant detail has been leaked yet, except some closed doors at Apple where they are toying with the idea, which means that this is still vaporware as far as I am concerned.

 

[Robert.Walter]

Rolex likely will not partner with Apple for the iWatch. Their brand is centered around quality and long-lasting products. They make every component of their watches and even smelt their own metal. They wouldn't outsource their movement or get mixed up in technology which could become quickly outdated.

I think other high end brands could be interested in working with Apple. Omega for instance does not produce their own movements. Omega buys their movements from ETA and insert them into their watch bands and cases. Apple could act as a supplier of the movements to any brand and allow the brand to design the watch around it. Apple would have control over the hardware and software, but leave the aesthetic up to the watch companies.

They could sell the "movement" for $300 to $500 and the bands or cases would be added on. Swatch would release a colorful rubber one for $50, Omega would release a gorgeous LiquidMetal design for $5000 or a diamond encrusted one for more.

FYI. Both ETA and Omega are wholly owned subsidiaries of the Swatch Group.

Apple is in the process of verticalizing its technology and some production. Apple would be very unlikely to embrace a reputation-risking and unprofitable strategy of being a supplier to case and band manufacturer. I'll eat my hat if that happens.

 

[thekev]

Maybe they are "doubling down"

In that case they wouldn't have offered any comment. It's generally better to decline to comment than offer inaccurate information.

Apple is working only with Rolex

That is one of the worst possible matches.

Rolex or similar brands won't work with Apple. Think about it their cheapest watches are somewhere like £5k. If they brought out an iWatch for less than that they what do you think would happen to the rest of their watches? They would decline in sales, and if they brought out an iWatch for about the same price then they won't sell. I mean you can't sell that many high prices watches, if you did then everyone would own a Rolex or TAG watch.

Apple's iWatch will be aimed at a totally different market than high end watch manufacturers.

That's the thing. Apple has always been about propagating newer tech across a broader market. They may be seen alongside luxury items, but their products are owned by a much broader range of individuals.

 

[DrJohnnyN]

Rolex likely will not partner with Apple for the iWatch. Their brand is centered around quality and long-lasting products. They make every component of their watches and even smelt their own metal. They wouldn't outsource their movement or get mixed up in technology which could become quickly outdated.

I think other high end brands could be interested in working with Apple. Omega for instance does not produce their own movements. Omega buys their movements from ETA and insert them into their watch bands and cases. Apple could act as a supplier of the movements to any brand and allow the brand to design the watch around it. Apple would have control over the hardware and software, but leave the aesthetic up to the watch companies.

They could sell the "movement" for $300 to $500 and the bands or cases would be added on. Swatch would release a colorful rubber one for $50, Omega would release a gorgeous LiquidMetal design for $5000 or a diamond encrusted one for more.

As a self proclaimed horological aficionado, owning Panerai, Breitling, Hublot, PP and AP, I have great respect for Swatch Group.

 

[derbladerunner]

It's the 21st century, nobody wears Swatch anymore.

Yes, but Swatch is much more than a few plastic watches. Swatch the Group has 11 more brands (see comments above for details), most of them high-end and costing $2-5k or even more.

Apple's iPod is also down to 1% of total sales in 2014 and yet Apple as a whole is doing better than ever.

Same for Swatch vs Swatch Group, the plastic watches are just one small business division of the entire company nowadays.

 

[BassPlayer]

I don't think this could happen. If it were just the "stylings" of SWATCH, that'd be one thing. Sure, make an iWatch case.

But based on the latest patent news from a couple days ago, I don't think Apple would let anyone else make a band that included a dock and numerous built-in biometric sensors. Letting someone else build that sophisticated hardware is contrary to everything Apple stands for. Sure, license accessories, but I don't think the band for the iWatch is going to be an accessory.